Burnout is real. It is not an imaginary state of mind that millennials came up with just to show proof of their hard work. In fact, it’s not just millennials who may feel burnout, although older generations may not have known the name for what they were feeling. For their generation, losing that passion for the job was not a big deal simply because they had to earn the money anyway.
But now that gig economy has become mainstream, younger members of the workforce are used to juggling more than two jobs just to get by. With all those responsibilities and tasks on your plate, it’s understandable that you feel burnout eventually. So how do you come back from it?
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Do something you enjoy
You don’t have to quit your job if you feel burnout. If you have vacation days saved up, feel free to use those. If you don’t, you can still turn your free time after work into mini vacations. The idea is to just allow yourself to do something you enjoy, even if they won’t earn you money. With hobbies now easily monetized in the influencer era, you may think this is an unproductive way to spend time, but remember that your goal here is to ignite your passion. If you love photography, go ahead and snap those photos on your morning walk. If you love cooking, challenge yourself to do it for the entire week without succumbing to food deliveries. If you love everything Korean, go on and splurge on a set of Korean face mask and treat yourself to some pampering. All of these activities are as valid as a vacation.
Wing it
For those who could take a trip pre-pandemic to heal burnout, one of the bigger stresses actually came from the planning. Doing this during a pandemic may be even more challenging, and you don’t need that added stress when you already feel chronically tired. Allow yourself to go with the flow, take risks, and be surprised with the outcome. Not all of them will be good, but it is a new experience, and it will enrich your life. You will also learn new things about yourself when you take paths you haven’t taken before.
Spend time with children
If you have nieces and nephews, or perhaps your own children, you may be surprised at how reinvigorating it is to spend time with them. Sure, it will be messy, and there might be some crying and tantrum throwing involved, but children have a unique way of looking at things and you can learn from this. Or rather, you can relearn some things from this experience.
Before children were told they had to hold a stable job or be stuck to a desk for eight hours a day, they daydreamed and played and just went for what they want, whether that’s a cookie, a toy, lip gloss (which turned out to be just candy) or anything else they were told they couldn’t have. Children break the rules because they are curious, and they ask questions because the world is an interesting place to explore. New concepts mean the world to them. This wonder needs to get its place back in your life.
If you’ve been working hard, it’s understandable that you feel burnout. Acknowledge this feeling and know that there are several ways to come back from it.
